Chapter 93
“Good work on this case too, Team Leader Yu?”
“No. And since I’m not a team leader yet, I’d appreciate if you didn’t call me that.”
“My goodness. Why so inflexible? You’re practically guaranteed the team leader position anyway.”
“I’m here to report results as a member of Team 1.”
“Fine. Fine. You’re so rigid.”
The department head scribbled his signature on the organized documents without even reading them. Yu Dohyun saw this and took the papers back without saying a word.
“Anyway, for this Gate subjugation, no one deserves more credit than you.”
“Yes. I understand.”
“What’s this? You’re unusually quiet?”
“I’m quiet because you’re right.”
“Really? Team Leader Han must have done quite poorly then. To hear Yu Dohyun say something like this.”
“Do I need to share my opinion on that here?”
“No. It’s fine. It’s already been conveyed.”
“I don’t mean to disparage Team Leader Han’s usual capabilities. I’m just saying that his performance in this particular subjugation was disappointing.”
“I do appreciate your honesty.”
A remark that could have been either praise or sarcasm came from the department head’s mouth. Yu Dohyun didn’t respond further. He was about to leave the office with the signed documents.
“If you know any good team members, put a team together. I’ll consider it.”
“Is that something I can decide on my own?”
“Just do it first.”
Yu Dohyun opened the door and left without replying. He was undoubtedly a rigid person. I realized I had never observed Yu Dohyun’s personality in such detail before.
Yu Dohyun went straight down to the Combat Division and submitted the documents to the team leader. The team leader received the papers with a faint smile.
“I should have done this myself. I’m really sorry about this.”
“It’s fine. Just focus on your recovery.”
Looking closer, the team leader (probably the Han Team Leader mentioned earlier) had casts on his arm and leg. Yu Dohyun glanced briefly at the cast-wrapped leg and gave a small bow.
“Thanks for your hard work.”
Instead of returning to his desk, Yu Dohyun headed to the break room. He brewed a cup of coffee and slowly gazed out the window. The scenery outside wasn’t much different from now. It was hard to believe it was over 10 years ago. Just then, the phone in Yu Dohyun’s pocket vibrated. Cha Suhyun. Though it was just three simple characters, Yu Dohyun hesitated slightly. He seemed to be debating whether to answer or not.
“Hello.”
-Hyung!
“I’m at work right now.”
-Just talk to me for a bit. I’ve got really great news!
“…I think I can spare a moment.”
Cha Suhyun’s voice was completely overcome with excitement. Even though I already knew what he was about to say (and Yu Dohyun probably did too), I quietly waited until he spoke.
-I got accepted to Haedam!
“…Congratulations.”
-Didn’t I tell you I would get in? I said I’d do it if I set my mind to it, right?
“Indeed. Congratulations.”
-Is that all you can say to congratulate me?
“Let’s have dinner later.”
-Really? Do you have time? No overtime work?
“The Gate subjugation ended yesterday, so today’s a bit more relaxed.”
-Then I’ll come to you!
Yu Dohyun smiled slightly after hanging up. Around this point, I noticed something strange. Yu Dohyun definitely died when Cha Suhyun was seventeen. Since minors can’t join guilds, this means Cha Suhyun must have already taken the college entrance exam as a high school senior. But the timeline doesn’t add up at all. Wondering if there was something I didn’t know, I decided to continue observing from Yu Dohyun’s perspective.
“Dohyun-ssi!”
Yu Dohyun turned around. An unfamiliar face, presumably his colleague, waved at him. Yu Dohyun slowly walked over.
“Please fill this out and return it by next week. HR said they need to update it.”
Yu Dohyun nodded as he received the paper. He returned to his desk and began working. So even hunters assigned to the Combat Division end up doing desk work. With such thoughts, I watched the scene from a strange perspective—through Yu Dohyun’s eyes but as an observer.
“Dohyun-ssi, how about a team dinner today? Team Leader Han gave us his card.”
“Ah, I have prior plans.”
“Really? You always have prior plans. When can we ever have dinner together?”
“If you let me know about a week in advance, I’ll try to make it work.”
A typical Yu Dohyun response. As quitting time approached, Yu Dohyun looked at the form on his desk. He seemed to want to fill it out before leaving. He picked up a pen and slowly began filling in the blanks. Name: Yu Dohyun, Age: 23. Occupation: Hunter. Haedam Guild member and Combat Division personnel, 3rd year. All obvious information. At the very bottom was a section for family relations.
Father, Yu Gyuhwan. Occupation, Chief Security Officer of the Combat Division.
Mother, Lee Juhwa. Occupation, Housewife.
After writing this, Yu Dohyun put down his pen. I was puzzled that someone who should have been listed wasn’t there. Specifically, Yu Chanhee was missing. Shouldn’t all family members be listed, even a younger brother? With growing unease but unable to do anything, I followed Yu Dohyun as he left the Combat Division building.
“Hyung!”
Cha Suhyun, dressed more casually than usual, waved his hand. His face looked much calmer than his usual demeanor.
“You came down early?”
“I came down right on time.”
“That is early for you. I’m hungry. Let’s eat.”
“…What do you want to eat?”
“Meat.”
“You always say that.”
“What can I do? It’s the most delicious. Don’t you like it?”
“No, I do. Let’s go.”
Yu Dohyun and Cha Suhyun walked side by side to Yu Dohyun’s car. The interior of his car was simple.
“But how can they make you work right after you’ve spent a week in a Gate?”
“It’s work hours, so it can’t be helped.”
“I’m definitely not going to work for the Combat Division. I’ll just be a hunter in the guild.”
“It’s not something you can choose. As long as you’re part of Haedam, if you’re drafted for Combat Division work, you have no choice but to do it…”
“Ah, ah, I get it~ Stop lecturing~!”
Cha Suhyun pushed Yu Dohyun’s face away. Surprisingly, Yu Dohyun, who would typically detest being touched, didn’t seem to mind Cha Suhyun’s physical contact at all. Their relationship seemed closer than I had imagined.
“My aunt keeps telling me to get help from you. Does she say the same to you?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t like that kind of thing, so you don’t have to do it.”
“…I can at least help if you have questions.”
“Wow, suddenly I feel like I have serious connections.”
Cha Suhyun and Yu Dohyun continued their conversation seamlessly. I found the two of them fascinating. They were both imprinted in my mind with such negative faces and images, which made this even more surprising. This situation made no sense. It didn’t make sense that these two people could be so happy together, that this could have been something that really happened. After all, someone who was supposed to be dead and someone who should have gone to England were here,
“Happy.”
Being happy like this.
Yu Dohyun and Cha Suhyun sat across from each other in a very ordinary barbecue restaurant. They had a perfectly normal meal and even shared some drinks. Yu Dohyun smiled occasionally, and Cha Suhyun chattered continuously. This scene was so unfamiliar to me. And it felt alien. Like being trapped in a reality that wasn’t real—though of course it wasn’t real.
After calling a designated driver to take Cha Suhyun home, Yu Dohyun headed home himself. I was inwardly tense, wondering if the house would be different too, but fortunately, the route was familiar. Yu Dohyun brushed his bangs up as he entered the house through the front door. The empty hallway had exactly the same structure as what I had seen before the house burned down. Even the excessive darkness was the same.
“You’re back?”
Mom came out with sleepy eyes, apparently having dozed off. Ridiculously enough, I felt a lump in my throat at the sight of her face.
“Yes. Did I wake you?”
“No, not really.”
“Go back to sleep.”
“I should at least see my only son come home before going to bed.”
Yu Dohyun smiled and sent Mom back to bed. My momentary emotional surge quickly gave way to a hollow feeling. Mom had clearly said “only son.” That means in this house, Yu Dohyun was the only son. Indeed, there was no sign of anyone else on the second floor where Yu Dohyun’s room was. Not even Yu Hyunjae.
